Why Gun Control?

Gun control has been a controversial topic across the nation for a long time now. Some people say restricting guns is an awful idea. They believe it is the right of all American citizens to bear arms and it serves as protection for millions of people. On the other hand, many Americans see guns as extremely dangerous, especially with all of the mass shootings going on in The United States in recent years. Since December 2012, when the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took place, 892 mass shootings have happened since, with at least 967 people dead from these shootings. Other notable mass shootings involving guns include Virginia Tech’s shooting in 2007, where 33 people were killed including the gunman, and the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting in 2012, which claimed twelve lives. Gun supporters have their reasons, but gun control and regulations needs to be increased, as guns are too deadly and dangerous to continue being put in the hands of mentally insane people.

With at least 300 million firearms estimated to be present in America currently, a shocking statistic from the website, The Trace, approximately 40 percent of people obtain firearms without a background check. This is very scary for America, as there are so many firearms across the country that could be used by citizens who should never be able to buy a gun. Unfortunately, this is a big factor in why mass shootings occur. If background checks and gun laws can be enhanced and improved, firearms can be put in safer hands, while those who are trying to use guns for extremely wrong reasons will have a much tougher time acquiring weapons. These intensifications of gun laws could save this country from the tragedies we seem to experience every 2 months. Safety is obviously key in this argument, but are guns really keeping us safe as they take thousands of lives at the same time?